wtf is up with m42swaps?

[F34R]

Freakin HECK
BMW's OG V8
If they weren't unicorn, I would totally do it

The m12/13 turbo is based off seasoned m10 blocks. They were FI to high 70 psi and made more power than the dynos at the time could measure. Rumored to over 1,500hp from a I4 that was a 1,500cc(2.0). It is and always will be my dream engine to make a monster 3.0 csl.

Fun fact, F1 changed the rules of engines because of BMW raising the bar. That rule was F1 banned turbocharging. BMW left after that ;)

[JinormusJ]

Oops; Misread my information. They are I4, but looks like a tiny V8 because of the camshaft heads
Imagine one of those monsters not just in an e30, but ANY car; rumored 300BHP from the 2.0L variant. And being based off the M10 meant is was insanely light. Super small, super light. Long live Megatron

It's the engine BMW should have put in e30 M3s

[Swanny]

Yes please.


There was an amazing article in Bimmer about this engine and the drivers who were lucky enough to drive them. Will have to look it up.

[MR E30 325is]

318s were the lightest chassis and came sunroofless. Get light car and put big engine, go fast.

Twas what i did.

Much fun indeed.

[Jonny Cash]

in all honesty, how much lighter can an M42 be in comparison to the M20? can't be much- the complete cars.. o.k. there is a difference.

I just do not understand how someone can say a car with minimal weight difference and 40 hp less is faster or better than another e30 with said M20. maybe it can get around a corner a smallest bit faster, but remove A/C in said M20 and you are at the same weight with 40hp more......

throw a cheap cam and some headers on said M20 and it runs that much better too. cams for M42?

its not the weight that gives it such a "pivot-ey" feel, its the placement of it. It is a definite advantage but not quite enough- an m20 car everything else equal is still faster.

Fact of the matter is, whoever says the 318is either e30 or e36 is a boring car, has obviously never had one out on the track.

[2761377]

No ones, enjoy your reward.

Back on topic, the m42 is peppy in the top end but only when you compare it to a eta or m10 lol those are so slow. Never had the pleasure of owning a 2002, there it two local but I passed for e24s. I am sure a 2002 with a m42 is amazing. But they are very light and not even the topic here.

according to the manuals the difference in curb weight between my '72 2002Tii and my '91 318iS is 420 lbs.

this probably accounts for why my tii will blow away the iS because the power figures are similar. i can pull a 7.5 0-60 by stopwatch in my tii.

all i can say if you think all m10's suck, you obviously have never driven one with a kugelfischer pump.

hth

[Dj Buttchug]

the m42 teaches you to rely less on torque and more on momentum when driving/ tracking.

[Lodsin]

And that same M42 got me a 138mph speeding ticket.

Still waiting to hear more about this.

[F34R]

the m42 teaches you to rely less on torque and more on momentum when driving/ tracking.

I noticed that greatly after puttering around in the m42 this last summer. The m20 and m42 are insanely different driving styles. Same thing with the ETA, if you lose the power band you're just lugging along.

[BlackbirdM3]

If I had a 318, I think I'd see what sort of power could be pulled from an M42. What is the Achilles heel of the M42? Head flow? How is the actual design of the head? Can it be cleaned up to flow well? I think one with a well built head, a set of cams and ITBs might be a very fun motor perhaps capable of producing some good numbers.

I can't say I've driven a 318, but I do like high revving 4 cylinder motors. I also hate seeing the wrong motor in a car. I'd rather spend a fortune one the correct motor than swap an obviously incorrect motor into the car. Heck, build a good head on the thing, get some cams, drop the compression and turbo the thing. I like NA motors over turbo ones, but if I really need big power, a turbo is acceptable, assuming the rest of the motor has been built to handle it.

Will

[nando]

I love how you guys with zero experience behind the wheel of an m42 car assume that you have any idea wtf you are talking about.

Mike has probably owned more than a few m42 powered cars. Talk about ignorance.

Its pretty silly how butthurt some of you guys are. M42s are slow ass balls? Stop the press! The sky is falling!

[PeteD]

My buddy auto-crossed a 318is back when we were in high school. That is the car that turned me onto the e30 - NA motors, nice suspension and working on driving skills. He killed it on the track in that car.

[CrusherCurtis]

Say what you want about the e30's handling with an m42, but at the end of the day its seriously just a shitty 4 cylinder, nothing special. It really has no desirable characteristics and most importantly its slow.

[joolz635]

If I had a 318, I think I'd see what sort of power could be pulled from an M42. What is the Achilles heel of the M42? Head flow? How is the actual design of the head? Can it be cleaned up to flow well? I think one with a well built head, a set of cams and ITBs might be a very fun motor perhaps capable of producing some good numbers.

I can't say I've driven a 318, but I do like high revving 4 cylinder motors. I also hate seeing the wrong motor in a car. I'd rather spend a fortune one the correct motor than swap an obviously incorrect motor into the car. Heck, build a good head on the thing, get some cams, drop the compression and turbo the thing. I like NA motors over turbo ones, but if I really need big power, a turbo is acceptable, assuming the rest of the motor has been built to handle it.

Will

Well I have just done ALL if what you suggested. Big cams, solid lifters, duel springs, m44 valves(thinner stems and lighter) big port job, match porting, Dbilas itb's, 75mm velocity stacks, custom 4into1Exhaust headers. The head has bench flowed 234 hp. Has 11.0:1 JE ,ARP bolts , lightweight pistons, pauter forged light rods, teflon edged crank scraper, total seal rings, bosch blue top injectors, MoTeC m800 ecu, custom air intake, m20 lightened flywheel. Think thats about it. Car weighs 930 kg, has a 5small speed overdrive box with a 4.45:1 e36 318ti small case lsd. I will post results once I have them.

[Balkanac]

I don't see why is this so important. To me the m42 feels more refined somehow but m20b25 does feel more beefy. It's a personal preference, I prefer the m42 coz I have more fun driving it.
If you want speed get a skyline